Lifting-truck.



W. F. IRRGANG.

LIFTING TRUCK. APPLICATION FILED OCT. 25, 1915.

Patented Mar. 7, 1916.

2 SHEETSSHEET I.

A TTORNE YS.

THE coLummA PLANOGRAPH co., WASHINGTON, D. c.

W. F. .IRRGANG.

LIFTING TRUCK.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 25. 1915.

Patented Mar. 7, 1916.

IN VEN TOR. 27 27;

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 W! I BY A TTORNE YS.

nnrTnn sTATns PATENT @FFTCE.

WILLIAM F. IRRGANG, OF W'INDSGB LOCKS, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR T0 GEORGE P.

CLARK COMPANY, OF WINDSOR LOCKS, CONNECTICUT, A CORPORATION OF CON- NECTICUT.

LIFTINGLTRUCK.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. *7, 1916.

Application filed October 25, 1915. Serial No. 57,732.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that 1, WILLIAM F. IRRGANG, a citizen of the United States of America, and residing in Windsor Looks, in the county of Hartford and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Lifting-Trucks, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in trucks of the lifting type and particularly to improvements in trucksof the class disclosed in my copending application Serial No. 13,038, filed March 8, 1915.

Trucks of the lifting type are widely used in lifting, lowering, and transferring loads from point to point and are generally well understood. Trucks of this class comprise,

, in general, two relatively movable frames,

one of which is movably mounted on the other and arranged to receive a load and the other to be wheel supported; lifting mechanism to interconnect the two frames; and devices, operable from the steering and drawing handle of the truck to actuate said mechanism.

The principal object of theinvention is to provide improved devices operable from f the handle of the truck to actuatethe lifting mechanism which are characterized by efficient operation in a simple manner with a minimum of time and effort on the part of the operator.

Other objects and advantages will appear in the detailed description to follow and in the annexed claims.

Referring to the drawlngs as lllustrating one preferred embodlment of the 1nvent1on M Figure 1 is a side elevational view of the truck with the movable frame thereof shown 'in lowered position; Fig. 2 is a fragmentary side elevational view of the truck showing the movable frame thereof in. raised position; Fig. 3 is a fragmentary elevational view showing the handle and mechanism associated therewith inposition for drawing the truck while the movable frame is in raised position; Fig. 4 is a sectional elevation of the improved hook arm; and Fig. 5 is a sectional plan view thereof.

Referring to these drawings in detail and particularly to Figs. 1 and 9.: 1 represents a suitable frame which is supported at the rear by wheels 2 and is secured at the front to an arched casting 3. Swiveled in the latter is a casting 4 in which a single front Wheel 5 is mounted.

The mechanism so far described is a wheel supported frame and may be considered as a carriage upon which the remaining devices to be described are mounted.

(5 represents a load bearing frame which is supported from the frame 1 by pairs of links 7 and 8. This movable frame, when in lowered position, as shown in Fig. 1, is arranged to rest upon the frame 1, whereby its downward movement is limited. The forward pair of links 8 have portions extending above the frame 6 and between.

of which the links may be operated to raise the movable frame 6 in a manner to be described.

Pivotally mounted at 10 in forward extensions of the swiveled casting 4 is a handle 11, which has a centrally formed opening near its lower end to receive an arm 12, The latter is pivoted intermediate its ends to the truck handle 11 at 13' and has a rearwardly extending hook portion and a forwardly extending portion 14, hereinafter called a controlling portion. The latter, as indicated in F ig. 1, is adapted to engage and be supported in the position shown by a latch 15, which is pivotally mounted in the handle 11 at 16 and constantly pressed upwardly by a spring 17. When the latch 15 is depressed, preferably with the handle 11 in engagement with an abutment 18 on the casting 4, the arm 12 is arranged to fall so that the hook formed in the end thereof drops into engagement with the cross bar 9, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1. Thereafter, by lowering the handle 11, the links 7 and 8 may be operated to move the frame 6 to the position shown in Fig. 2. When the frame 6 is so lifted, the cross-bar 9 engages the top of the arched casting 3 and prevents further movement of the links 8 in one direction, and the pivotal connections of the links 8 with frame 6 lie to the right of the pivotal connections with frame 1 so that movement of the links in the other direction is prevented by a toggle action.

The structure so far described is substan tially the same as that described in the above-mentioned copending' application. and

which' is engageable and disengageable with the cross bar 9 in a novel manner, whereby advantageous results 1n the operation of the truck are obtained as will later appear.

The improved hookarm, as is best shown in Figs. 4 and 5, is formed substantially in the cross-sectional shape of an inverted U and has a hook-shaped recess 19 to engage the crossbar 9. The forward portions of the recess 19 are inclined to the fixed rearward portions of the recess as indicated at 20. Within the U-shaped arm 12 and adjacent the recess 19 is a catch 21 pivoted; in the spaced walls of the arm at 22, The lower portion of the catch 21 is arranged to form a movable forward wall for the recess 19. The upper portion of catch 21 is normally held against a stop 23 integral with arm 12 by a tension spring 24, as clearly shown in F ig. 4. Pivotally mounted inter mediate its ends within the arm 12 at 24 is a lever 25, which has formed on its forward extending portion a lug 26 hereinafter called an actuating lug. The latter, when the arm 12 is held in the position shown in Fig. 1 by the engagement of the controlling portion 14 and the latch 15, is adapted to be engaged and forced inwardly to the full line position, shown in Fig. 4, by the handle 11. When the lever 25 is so moved, a projection 27 is snapped past an outstanding ledge 28 on the catch 21, and the latter is held thereby in the full line position, shown in Fig. 4. lVhen, however, the. catch 21 is turned away from the stop 23, in a manner later to be described, the projection is released, and the lever 25 is allowed to drop to the dotted line position, shown in Fig. 4.. In such a position, the end 29 of the lever 25 abuts a surface 30 on the catch, and the projection 27 engages a shoulder 31, where by the catch 21 is restrained from movement in either direction.

The general operation of the truck with the improved hook structure will now be described. Assuming that the parts arein relative positions shown in Fig. 1 and that it is desired to raise the movable frame 6, the handle 11 is raised until it engages the abutment 18. The handle is then so positioned that, when the hook arm 12 is released by depressing the latch 15, the recess 19 will drop over the cross bar 9 as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 1. The hook arm is thus automatically connected with the lifting mechanism by a simple and con- -clined surfaces 20.

venient operation, which is preferably done with the foot of the operator, viz, the depression of latch 15. The lifting mechanism is then actuated by simply lowering the handle 11 to the position shown in Fig. 2. After the frame 6 has thus been lifted, it is usually desirable to draw the truck in this condition, and it will be evident from an inspection of Fig. 2 that the handle 11 is lowered almost to the horizontal which is obviously not a convenient position for drawing the truck. The hook arm 12 may, of

course, be removed from engagement with the cross bar 9 by kicking or otherwise moving the controlling portion 14: into engagement with the latch 15, whereby the handle 11 may be subsequently raised to a position convenient for drawing purposes as set forth in the above-mentioned copending application. However, it will be obvious from Fig. 2 that the controlling portion 14 is not conveniently movable into engagement with the latch 15 unless the operator leaves the handle and,,moveover, it is desirable on the score of efficient operation that the operator be required to perform a minimum number of operations. Therefore, the

preferred operation, is as follows':-If it be remembered that the lever 25 was moved by engagement of the actuating lug 26 and handle 11 so as to be supported ini'ts uppermost position by the ledge 28, it will be' seen that the'catch 21 is movable forwardly. Consequently, the handle 11 may be freely raised to a convenient position for drawing purposes as the latch 21 will snap backwardly and permit the hook arm to ride out of engagement with the crossbar 9 on the in- Such a condition is shown in Fig. 3, and it will be obvious that the handle 11 is as freely movable in all directions as if the hook arm 12 were held in place by latch 15. When it is desired to lower the load, the handle 11 is lowered until the recess 19 drops over the cross-bar 9. The movement of the catch 21 caused by disconnecting the hook arm from the cross bar, as described, caused the lever 25 to drop to its lowermost position so that the catch 21 now forms a rigid forward wall for the recess 19. Thus, as the handle 11 is raised, the catch- 21 will engage the cross-bar 9 and force it. rearwardly to lower the frame 6. When the latter is lowered, the part 14: is in an accessible position since the handle is approximately vertical, and the hook arm 12 may be conveniently raised by movement of the portion 14 by the foot of the operator from the dotted line position to the full line position shown in Fig. 1, where it is held by latch 15. This action will cause the engagement of the actuating lug 26 with the handle 11, whereby the lever 25 is again set in its upper position to permit the repetition of the above described cycle of operations.

As the hook 12 is held against the handle 11, the truck may be transported with the frame 6 in lowered position to the desired point and again raised as described. Thus, an improved lifting truck of simple structure has been provided, which is characterized by efficient operation in that the operations required by the operator are reduced to a minimum and are each simple and easily accomplished. It is recognized that various modifications may be made in the specific structure chosen for the purposes of illustration without departing from the scope of the invention which is defined by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description.

What I claim is 1. A lifting truck, comprising, a carriage, a pivoted handle at the front end thereof, a rearwardly extending hook arm pivoted near the lower end of the handle, a load lifting mechanism connected to the carriage having means for temporary engagement by said hook arm and operable by such engagement and a downward sweep of the handle to lift a load, and mechanism associated with the hook arm operable by an upward movement of the handle to disengage the hook arm from operative connection with said means.

2. A lifting truck, comprising, a carriage, a pivoted handle at the front end thereof, a rearwardly extending-hook arm pivoted near the lower end of the handle, a load lifting mechanism connected to the carriage having means for engagement by said hook arm and operable by such engagement and a downward sweep of the handle to lift a load, and mechanism in the hook arm to automatically disengage the hook from operable connection with said means as the handle is raised to draw the truck, said mechanism arranged to permit an operative reengagement of the hook. arm with said means by a subsequent lowering of the handle to a predetermined position, whereby the load may be lowered by an upward sweep of the handle.

3. A lifting truck, comprising, a carriage, a pivoted handle at the front end thereof, a lever pivoted intermediate its ends at the lower part of the handle having a rearwardly extending hook portion and a forwardly extending controlling portion, a load lifting mechanism connected to the carriage having means for engagement by said hook portion and operable by such engagement and a downward sweep of the handle to lift a load, automatic mechanism in the hook portion adapted to be set to permit the disengagement of the hook arm from operative connection with said means when the handle is raised to draw the carriage and arranged for a subsequent operative reengagement with said means on lowering the handle to a predetermined position so that the load may be lowered by an upward sweep of the handle, said lever arranged to be disengaged from said means by movement by the operator of said controlling portion and releas- "ably held against the handle, and a device associated with said mechanism operable by engagement with the handle when the lever is raised to reset said'automatic mechanism for a subsequent cycle of operations.

4. A lifting truck, comprising, a carriage, a handle pivoted at the front thereof, a rearwardly extending hook arm pivoted to the lower part of the handle, a load lifting mechanism connected to the carriage having means for engagement by said hook portion and operable by such engagement and a downward sweep of the handle to lift a load, a movable catch in the arm adjacent the hook arranged to permit automatic disengagement of the hook and said means by an upward sweep of the handle, and a de- 'vice pivoted in the handle operable by such disengagement to lock the movable catch, said hook and means arranged for reengagement by lowering the handle to a predetermined position, all constructed and arranged so that on a subsequent raising of the handle the locked catch is engageable with said means to lower the load.

5. A lifting truck, comprising, a carriage, a handle pivoted at the front end thereof, a rearwardly extending arm pivoted in the lower part of the handle and formed with a hook, a load lifting mechanism connected to the carriage having means for engagement by said hook and operable by such engagement and a downward sweep of the handle to lift a load, a pivoted catch forming a forward wall for said hook and arranged to permit disconnection of the hook fromoperative engagement with said means by an upward sweep of the handle, a pivoted device in the arm operable by movement of the catch to lock the latter, said hook arranged to reengage said means by lowering the handle to a predetermined position, whereby on a subsequent upward sweep of the handle the locked catch may be forced against said means to lower the load, said arm arranged to be raised from said means and releasably locked to the handle by foot operation, and a part associated with said device operable by engagement with the hanclllle when the arm is raised to release said catc WILLIAM F. IRE-GANG.

Gopies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

